Tea Party Republican Senate candidate Jamie Radtke blasted the American Conservative Union endorsement of George Allen today, citing a list of the former senator’s actions as proof the group is ‘shilling’ for the Washington Establishment.
Radtke said, “ACU endorsements are apparently based on friendships, rather than records. While they opposed Dick Lugar for his poor record in Indiana, they’re supporting George Allen despite his.”
Lugar’s ACU rating was as low as 77, while Allen’s was as low as 80. In fact, Lugar’s rating for 2002 was a 90 when George Allen’s was an 84. ACU opposed Lugar’s re-election bid this year, but last week the group endorsed George Allen. The 2002 ACU scorecard even highlighted George Allen’s opposition to capping federal spending over a 5-year period.
Radtke is pointing out the ACU’s double standard.
“The ACU coddles the pet career politicians they like, giving them cover whenever they’re working to manipulate conservative voters. The fact is, George Allen can’t run from his horrible record. The ACU should be ashamed for helping to undermine the term ‘conservative’ in Washington, D.C.,” she said.
In its endorsement, the ACU cited a virtually meaningless election year vote from 2006 when Allen was clearly trying to persuade true conservatives that he was one of them.
“In so doing,” Radkte said, “they ignored Allen’s abysmal record that proves he’s a card-carrying member of the Washington Establishment.”
As examples, Radtke points out that Allen:
– supported increases in federal spending totalling 46%
– voted cumulatively to add $3.2 trillion to the national debt
– supported the assault rifle ban during his 2000 campaign
– supported liberals like Arlen Specter over conservative candidates
– forsook his 2000 campaign promise to pass a Balanced Budget Amendment until his re-election campaign in 2006
– voted for 52,000 earmarks
– supported the wholesale undermining of private property rights with historic preservation
– promoted liberal judges for appointment to the federal bench
– voted for the No Child Left Behind legislation that intrudes into an area that should be left to states
– voted for massive new government programs like the prescription drug entitlement
– backed the ethanol mandate and costly federal subsidies for corn
– voted to unconditionally increase the federal debt ceiling four times
– flip-flopped on a campaign promise to conservatives, voting in favor of extending ‘hate crimes’ status on the basis of victims’ sexual behavior
– openly supported abortion rights until a recent campaign conversion
The ACU statement endorsing George Allen as ‘a consistent conservative,’ Radtke said, “is absolutely laughable in light of his record.”
Radtke concluded, “Virginians need a real conservative to represent them in the U.S. Senate – rather than a big government liberal who forgets his conservative rhetoric whenever he crosses the Potomac River.”
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